Cricket at the Seashore

us, and sighed as she wondered if they were going to keep it up long enough to make it worth while for her to leave her cool room and her afternoon nap, to go and stop them

hall, Eunice and Edna, who came running down-stairs, as well as the boys, who ap

nt out there nothing, for a moment, was visible, though the

ts head firmly wedged into a tin tomato can. Backing and scratching, as a cat will when its head is covered, the poor little thing, evidently half fra

a dive for it, but dropping it, when she caught it, with equal promptness, as its s

ts backward way. "Do get that can off. How did any on

here you are, sir!" and Will, having caught the table-cloth from the table, sending the magazines and papers in a shower to the floor, threw it over the poor little black thing, so that, in picking it up, he

. Jove, but it's snug! We can dispense with a little of that music, my fine fellow. There-you-are," as Archie, with a final careful twist, drew off the can. Once out of its

red around to p

h you. Here, Cricket, take it in the table-cloth, there. Better give it something to eat. It's

ch good effect that, when she came back, half an hour later, the little black ca

grandma will let me keep it. We haven't any cat

e family, and so it was legally adopted by Cricket, with all sorts of s

opriate name," medi

e Iron Mask,"

ling all that out when

rous," sa

nt a regu

's a regular name, and it'

just a plain, common, every-day sor

t is very appropriate indeed. He couldn't tel

his tail. She had had him for two days now, and he had quite recovered from his tinny imprisonment. He proved to be a most well-bred and

his youth," said Will. "Especia

and I'll call that Martha, because he runs after it. Come here, George W

ON-"CRICKET BORE OFF HE

eft alone in any room, he would howl in mournful and prolonged meows, that speedily brought some one to the rescue. He tagged the girls like a little dog, and would stand on the shore crying like a child if they went off in the boat and would not t

d Cricket, who was curled up in the h

somewhere, and I let him out myself only a few minutes ago. I believe he gets into

ed cry was heard again, and again Cricket started in quest of him. She looked and called everywhere, but George W. was nowhere to be

o Eunice and Edna, who were also on the piazza.

omfortable, twisted-up position in the steamer chair, which she lov

one in patience," returned Cricket, laughing. "I'm sure I don't

ter, George W. rene

in despair from another search. So down she sat, shuttin

dma appeared a

seems to want something. Don't you

ng for an hour at least, and I just

cried now and then at intervals, but it was impossible to locat

e," said Will, who had joined the

untie, "because we can scarcely have all the floors

robably forgotten the way back. Or, perhaps there's some hol

ing him limb from limb," suggested Archie, making such a ho

ries came more constantly from the floor of the trunkroom, a small apartment off the garret, and directly over Eunice's room. There was a small knot-hole in the floor, and the light from a window fell di

irst the tin can, then the floor. Come out here, old fellow." But he was e

ome up." So the milk was brought, and as it was supper-time, they all went down and left George W. to his own devices. C

at the supper-table. "Probably he was right there under the t

sked grandma and Au

t you know? a man who-w

" said Will. "Tha

what is a phila

is one who loves m

thropist?" broke in Cricket, with her glass

ry often,"

r financé, but I never knew she was called a p

s anothe

could speak, "and the girl isn't often calle

are very puzzling. They seem to be

little Talleyran

Cricket's voice. With one accord, everybody rushed up-stairs. The sounds seemed to come from Eunice's room. As they opened the door, a cloud of dust poured out, from a mass of plaster

dy come and pull me up; I'm

o spring over his head, alighting right in the midst of the group of eager children, each of whom was trying

under the eaves, but there was light enough to see Cricket, with one leg stretched out str

a pretty tight squeeze. I don't believe there's any skin left on it. I just came up quickly, and I couldn't see very w

hurt?" cried everybody, sc

e down pretty hard on my elbow, and I nearly knocked it up to the t

y through, and go down on the lower floor," sa

Cricket, surprised. "M